The doctoral programme will encourage the completion of doctoral theses in co-supervision with other foreign universities and an international mention in the doctoral degree. The completion of doctoral theses in joint supervision or with an international mention guarantees the participation of foreign experts both in the research training of the PhD student and in the assessment prior to and during the defence of the doctoral thesis.
The Academic Committee of the doctoral programme will consider multiple supervision, in cases of thematic interdisciplinarity or doctoral programmes developed in national or international collaboration.
The supervision of doctoral students will be specified in a documentary commitment signed by the university, the doctoral student, their tutor and their supervisor. This commitment shall be initialled as soon as possible after admission and shall include a conflict resolution procedure and shall cover aspects relating to intellectual or industrial property rights that may arise in the context of the doctoral programme
Once enrolled on the programme, a personalised activity document will be drawn up for each PhD student for the purposes of the individualised control register referred to in article 2.5 of Royal Decree 99/2011. All activities of interest for the development of the PhD student will be recorded in this document, which will be regularly reviewed by the tutor and thesis supervisor and assessed by the Academic Committee.
Within a maximum period of six months from enrolment, the Academic Committee will assign each PhD student a PhD thesis supervisor, who may or may not coincide with the tutor referred to in the previous section. This assignment may be made to any Spanish or foreign doctor with accredited research experience, regardless of the university, centre or institution in which he/she provides his/her services. The Academic Committee, having heard the doctoral student, may modify the appointment if there are justified reasons.
The supervisor of the doctoral thesis will be responsible for the coherence and suitability of the training activities, the impact and novelty of the subject matter of the doctoral thesis in his/her field, and for guiding the planning and adaptation, where appropriate, of other projects and activities in which the doctoral student is involved. The thesis may be co-directed by other PhD students when there are academic reasons, such as thematic interdisciplinarity or programmes developed in national or international collaboration, with the prior authorisation of the Academic Committee. This authorisation may be subsequently revoked if, in the opinion of the Academic Committee, co-direction does not benefit the development of the thesis.
The University of Valladolid, through the doctoral school or the corresponding unit responsible for the doctoral programme, may establish additional requirements to be a doctoral thesis supervisor.
The work of tutoring the doctoral student and supervising the thesis will be recognised as part of the teaching and research dedication of the teaching staff.
Before the end of the first year, the PhD student shall draw up a research plan that shall include at least the methodology to be used and the objectives to be achieved, as well as the means and timetable for achieving them. This plan may be improved and detailed throughout their stay on the programme and must be endorsed by the tutor and the director.
Annually, the programme's Academic Committee will evaluate the research plan and the activity document of each PhD student, together with the reports to be issued by the tutor and the director. A positive evaluation will be a prerequisite for continuing on the programme.
In the event of a negative evaluation, which shall be duly justified, the PhD student must be re-evaluated within a period of six months, for which purpose a new research plan must be drawn up. In the event of a new negative evaluation, the PhD student will be permanently withdrawn from the programme.
In the event of conflict, the parties concerned shall submit to the decision of the bodies provided for in the regulations of the University of Valladolid.